Bring in the New!
The new swift. YAY! My crafty-schmoo-fiance built me my very own swift. He was able to make this:
I'm working here.
into this:
It works!
I helped with measuring wood and reading directions. The Pants did all sawing, drilling, hammering, etc. We used these instructions that I found online: [ edited the link: http://www.craftydiversions.com/patterns/homemade_yarn_swift.htm ] and they worked perfectly. Of course I ran and bought a ball winder almost immediately -- I'm not wasting any time! I love my handmade swift so. much.
Now. A fun activity from the fabulous Fricknits: ten topics that begin with the letter E. Yikes. E seems hard. I guess everyone thinks their letter sounds hard...
English : I majored in English in college, and I now work in an English department. I am a stickler for correct spelling and grammar in writing. Questionable grammar in spoken English doesn't bother me as much as written mistakes. I am especially appalled at spelling errors on websites -- if you see one on my blog, you can tell me. I will luv u 4 it.
Exercise: It's starting hardcore in January. I got a step and hand weights for Christmas, and I just ordered that Nike-iPod thingy that Rachael was talking about. I'm planning to run a half-marathon in March -- and I'm mentioning that so you'll HOLD ME TO IT -- and I need to start training. MUST. DO. IT. Did I mention that I'm getting married in October of this year and I want to be my super-cutest self for the wedding?
Espresso : Every morning, I get a 16 oz vanilla latte from Jittery Joe's, our local coffee shop. Sometimes I get an extra shot of espresso if I'm feeling extra droopy. I realized over the holidays how much money I spend at said coffee shop. Woo-hoo! I'm supporting local business, so that makes it okay, right?
Election: I volunteered for our mayor's re-election campaign at the end of 2006. And it was FUN. Extra-fun activities included playing an election benefit show with Bling and creating a banner ad for our local online newspaper. She won!
Explosion: We set off fireworks last night. Lots and lots of fireworks. Jacob loves to be the dude that lights the fireworks and then runs like crazy away from the fireworks before they blow up. (Which makes me, inevitably, the girl who's yelling "Be careful, schmoo! Are we being too loud?") Don't worry, we're careful. And we're all about fire safety -- my future father-in-law is a fireman.
Entertaining: We had a little New Year's party last night, and it was really fun. Our new house is perfect for having guests. At one point, we had a poker game, karaoke, and Wii-playing all going on at the same time. Good times. And we still have leftover pigs in a blanket and tiny cheesecakes. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Tiny cheesecakes.
Evil: Tiny cheesecakes! You are evil! Stop tempting me from the fridge...
Education: Semester two of grad school starts next week. I'm taking one face-to-face class and one online class. We had a few online sessions of class last semester in my theory class, and it was sort of awkward and painful. I'm hoping a whole semester of online sessions aren't as painful...
Engaged: So I have the date. And the place. And the dress. (And the Pants. hahahahahahahahahahaha.) Apparently, the REAL planning can start now. Note to self: Must consult excessively organized and already married twin sister.
And, finally...
Endpaper Mitts: Finished!
My First Endpaper Mitts. Certainly not my last.
My first Fair Isle experience was a good one. I learned that it's hard to get consistent gauge, which I'm working on, and I also learned that it's a bad idea to do colorwork when you're a little tipsy. D'oh. But, the mitts fit, they look decent, and I'm not scared of colorwork anymore!
Excellent.
Later this week: Progress reports on Maggie and Forecast.
Comments (34)
Hi, new to the blog and enjoying it. I wanted to see the PDF of the instructions for the swift but the link is broken.
On a side note, if you type knit blog into google your site is the top one.
Posted by Catie P | April 10, 2007 5:42 PM
What a crafty schmoo! Wow, he's a keeper. ;)
And lovely Endpaper Mitts! They're so cute!
Posted by Jessica | January 23, 2007 10:21 PM
OMG! That swift is so cool! Go Jacob- we knew he was the awesomest guy ever.
That's it! I HAVE to make those endpaper mitts. Love the colors you chose- so classy!
Posted by frecklegirl jess | January 11, 2007 7:21 PM
Fabulous Endpapers! They look really well done. I haven't tried colorwork yet, but I will one day. I think I'm making major strides just to knit something that isn't rectangular.
October bride? Me too! I also used to live in Athenstown, and I miss Jittery Joe's SO MUCH. At least we're getting married there and have a good excuse to go back :)
Posted by K | January 11, 2007 4:39 PM
What gorgeous endpaper mitts you made. You seem to be a natural of colorwork from the look of it. I dont think I could bare to try that at the moment, I will just stick to cables.
Posted by Sue | January 9, 2007 4:16 AM
Fabulous Endpaper Mitts! You've almost tempted me to try fair isle... but I'm not ballsy enough just yet! Yay for the swift - you better hang on to that Pants guy for good!
Posted by Rhonda | January 6, 2007 8:03 AM
That poor guy looks surprised. Sort of like a vampire movie when the preist raises up the cross right before they relised they are going to be attacked.
My wife sometimes sneaks up on me when I am doing carpentry.I am really lucky I have not lost a finger or something.
Be nice to you man and don't sneak up on him when using powertools. I am not suggesting you do that. Still it is good advice.
Posted by Zeeppo | January 5, 2007 11:22 PM
Lovely Endpapers...I agree that tension is tricky with fair isle, I'm still trying to get the hang of it myself.
I miss Jittery Joe's and all things Athens!!
Posted by Heather | January 5, 2007 9:43 AM
OMG I love this post! Extremely informative! And Yay for swift! And mitts! And fireworks!!!
Posted by Jenny | January 4, 2007 4:05 PM
your boobies look big teamie!
i miss you.
Posted by joanna | January 4, 2007 1:10 PM
Lovely endpaper mitts! And lovely swift! My husband John and I are not as craftily inclined with the projects involving wood and saws and whatnot, so I purchased my umbrella swift while working at my LYS and getting a 40% discount.
Also, I too have the espresso love (addiction?). John recognized early on that my "latte factor" (google it) needed to be eliminated. He bought me a Krups espresso machine, and now I make my own latte every morning before work. I highly recommend it -- I can make my lattes just exactly how I like them, and we save lots of moola! Perhaps you could put it on your registry list? :)
Posted by Jen L | January 3, 2007 8:48 PM
on the iPod/exercise/marathon front (i'm training for a full marathon in april...more on my blog as soon as i find the time to post! ;]) there are two free podcasts available that are great - podrunner and fitPod. both are (typically) hour-long sets of music with a consistent bpm to help you keep a steady rythmn while running or walking.
very cool swift...way to be crafty!
Posted by amy | January 3, 2007 2:04 PM
Whoo hoo! The swift and the mitts are quite wonderful.
You crafty couple, you!
Posted by Angela | January 2, 2007 11:17 PM
Go Pants Go! What a cool swift; I've got to send those instructions to my dad and get him working on that!
Posted by Anita | January 2, 2007 11:01 PM
What a handy man you have there! Happy New Year! Isn't the wii the best at parties? Everyone loves to bowl...
Posted by biglug | January 2, 2007 7:21 PM
Oh yeah, my bf is making one of those for me. He doesn't know it yet. Happy 2007!
Posted by Laura | January 2, 2007 4:54 PM
How about another E?
Exemplary Endpaper Mitts!
Cool swift too.
Posted by Jeanine | January 2, 2007 3:38 PM
That swift is amazing! Thanks so much for the link I may have to get my boy to whip one up for me!
I adore your endpaper mitts! The colors are really great!
Posted by Leah | January 2, 2007 3:10 PM
Ooo, a handmade swift...how very cool. I like to make things, but I definitely think that is out of my realm of capabilities (especially since I seem to have issues whenever I wind yarn).
Posted by ruth | January 2, 2007 1:28 PM
i love your swift! so excellent!
and your mitts! beautiful... hey i'm making CP due to your inspiration! i'm almost done with the back and loving it.
Posted by margaux | January 2, 2007 12:25 PM
Mmmm... tiny cheeeesecakes...
I love the swift! Santa gave me a ball winder for Xmas, probably not realizing that he would end up having to hold every skein of yarn that I want to wind. (But I think he likes doing it!) Still, I'll bookmark those instructions. The endpaper mitts are lovely, too.
Happy new year to you and the Pants, Carrie!
Posted by alison | January 2, 2007 12:11 PM
hahaha - Sweetie made me a swift too - I provided the instructions (so similar but from a different site) and he finished it for my birthday 12/28. I even let the 6yo grandson help wind! ALSO, I knit a pair of "Fetching" fingerless mitts for my BF from Knitty - my VERY FIRST CABLES. Your colorwork looks just great - don't think I'm ready for that yet. Alas, I have not posted pics. You go girl on the half-marathon. I WALKED the half for St. Jude in early December - now walking not SUCH a big deal (hard for me though) but running - get you a training schedule and get goin' girl!! Sounds like you had a lovely party - send me a few of those piggies!! Oh, and thanks for the comment on the "girls" Christmas picture - I knew they wouldn't behave so I planned it out in advance..
Posted by robin | January 2, 2007 11:50 AM
You TOTALLY rocked the E. Even finished up a matching knit! Excellent!
Posted by JulieFrick | January 2, 2007 11:36 AM
PRETTY MITTS!
Awww, you look so cute, mesmerized by the swift. Jacob rocks.
The training? Go you. You can do it!
Posted by Sarah | January 2, 2007 9:05 AM
I really don't know much about knitting, but if it's called a Swift, I can only guess that it'll make you knit faster :p
I so did not want to get out of bed this morning after 11 days off work *yawn*
Happy New Year!
Posted by Charles Nicolosi | January 2, 2007 8:36 AM
October is a wonderful month to get married in. (I got married in October as well, so I'm not a bit partial.)
I haven't tried Fair Isle yet, however my hubby got me a book on Fair Isle mittens for Christmas, and I already have a few projects picked out.
Posted by Steph | January 2, 2007 5:26 AM
HA! I just noticed your robot protection system below. Tee!
Anyway, I too hate hate hate reading poorly edited entries and want to beat myself with a wet noodle when I notice I've posted something with a mistake. Spoken English doesn't bother me nearly as badly, except when TV reporters say stupid shizz. The other night a CNN dude said Saddam was "hung." I was all shouting at the TV "Pictures are hung, people are HANGED!" It was a lesson I taught in my class when we read "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and I didn't want to read 120 essays talking about how Peyton Farquahar was "hung" to death. Oh the horror! You'd think the CNN guy would have boned up on the very verb he was going to be needing before getting on the air and butchering it. For that was the real violence committed. I love how I have my priorities all in order.
P.S. Luv UR swift.
Posted by Rachel | January 2, 2007 3:58 AM
The party was AMAZING. So is your house! And the Wii! And the food! And the swift! So are the super mitts! Yay!
I am hesitant to throw stones in my glass house because I can't spell worth a good goshdarn. Yes, I'm an editor who can't spell. But I do know how to speak and spell Southernese, I reckon. And you asked. . . . You sometimes make a common spelling mistake, spelling "y'all" as "ya'll." The latter spelling is widespread and I'd guess it comes from an incorrectly applied paradigm, an apostrophe before two ells: we --> we'll; I --> I'll; you --> ya'll. But, of course, the contraction for "you will" is "you'll"; "y'all" is a contraction for "you all," and the apostrophe goes in the place of missing letters, the o-u. Luv mii en awl miy obnokshusnis :-)
Posted by Courtney Q | January 1, 2007 11:45 PM
such wonderful Es! those mitts are divine.
i can just see you walking in every day to order your espresso at jittery joes -- that's the best coffee shop name. and i think it's great that you are supporting a small business.
Posted by carrie m | January 1, 2007 11:37 PM
ooooh! check out the swift! that's pretty crafty of the pants :) nice job!
and double nice job on the endpaper mitts! very very cute. your first colorwork is quite the success!
Posted by gleek | January 1, 2007 11:23 PM
What a great fiance!! That swift looks like a lot of fun.
And the Endpaper mitts are lovely!
Posted by Veronique | January 1, 2007 10:47 PM
I am so jealous of the swift... The Pants did an awesome job. The Endpapers are fabulous! =)
Posted by Dorre | January 1, 2007 10:32 PM
Hey great swift!! And your Endpaper mitts are fab! i haven't tried a fair isle project yet... but I want to.
ps. i'm sitting here typing this on the same grey couch that you're winding your yarn on! tee hee. Do you find it uncomfortable too? =)
Posted by ms.dok | January 1, 2007 10:23 PM
Hmmm...was that little swift there inspired by our hotel swifting experience at Rhinebeck? That's so cool that the pants made it!
Posted by sarah b. | January 1, 2007 10:23 PM